Stage-setting for theaters.



WIT ESSES J. C. SPIKES. STAGE SETTING FOR THEATERS. APPLICATION rum) SEPT.18, 1911.

Patented May- 28, 1912.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

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J. G. SPIKES.

STAGE SETTING FOB, THEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1911. 1,027,922, Patented May 28, 1912.

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ATENT FIQE.

JOHN. G. SPIKES, 0F TRINIDAD, COLORADO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed September 18, 1911. Serial No. 649,919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. Srikns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trinidad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stage-Settings for Theaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion is in the nature of a stage setting for theaters designed especially for a novel, sensational and amusing act in vaudeville performance, and to which I have applied the descriptive name of the musical meat market.

My invention has for its object the product-ion of contrasting emotions and contemplates the rendition of the most beautiful and inspiring music out of what appears to be the most impossible and unpoetic instrumentalities and to this end it comprises a stage setting all of whose appointments are representations of the products and furnishings of a meat market; that is to say, on suitable racks will be hung representations of sides of bacon, legs of lamb, quarters of beef, strings of lard buckets, strings of sausages, trays of fowls, &c., in each of which article is deftly concealed a musical instrument, while the counter, chopping block, counter stools and ice box also em body musical instruments so that the stage setting, while representing the complete resemblance of a meat market, really constitutes the instruments for a full orchestra on which the most beautiful high class music may be rendered in a most striking and sensational way amid surroundings wholly out of harmony with the usual expectation.

Figure 1 is a front View of the stage setting with its various features in place and, Figs. 2 to 11 are detail views, showing the separate elements of the setting shown in illustration of their musical structure and function.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, A represents the floor, B the back wall, and C C the two side walls forming the inclosure of the stage setting. Within this inclosure are arranged standing racks D D On the rack D are hung representations E of sides of bacon, canvas covered ham and salt pork. On the rack D are hung representations P of sausages and similar products. F is an ele vated arched support extending from rack to rack and supporting a series of lard buckets G. H is an imitation counter with a cash register frame I on it. J are stools. K is an imitation chopping block. L is an ice box casing. M an imitation leg of beef. N an imitation leg of lamb or ham and O are imitation dressed fowls.

The imitation sides of bacon, ham, or pork consist, see Fig. 2, of a canvas or other casing 1 distended over a rectangular frame 2 containing upright bars 41 and cross bars 5 on which are suspended resonant tubes, 3, 3, 3, of different tones, forming what is known as organ chimes, which are played or sounded by shaking the frame, the back of the casing being open to let the sound out. There are a number of these organ chimes of graduated pitch of tones, as seen in Fig. 1, suspended side by side on the rack, so that the player can shift from one to the other to produce the music. There mayi be three or more sounding tubes in each casing according to the size ofthe article.

The lard buckets G are shown broken open in Fig. 3. Each has within it an electrically operated saucer bell or gong bell 6, each bell of each bucket having a difierent tone, which is produced by an electromagnetically operated hammer 7 connected by wires 8 to the keys 9 of the imitation cash register I, each key controlling an in dividual bell of different tone in a different bucket.

The imitation sausages P, Fig. 1, will take the form of wiener-wursts and bolognas and the strings of the same have on their back side a series of bells like sleigh bells, as shown in Fig. 4. which represents the rear side. The links of sausage of different size have bells 10 of different size and tones and they are played selectively by shaking the strings successively according to the music.

The imitation chopping block K, Fig. 1, is formed by an exterior casing about a marimbaphone. This instrument is shown in perspective view in Fig. 5. 'A vertical cross section of its parts is shown in Fig. 5 and the bow, by which it is operated, is seen in Fig. 5 The marimbaphone consists of a series of sounding plates 11 with pendant resonant tubes 12, the plates being set into vibration by scraping the edges with a bass violin bow. The bow is made in the form of a meat saw 13 in which the saw blade is replaced by the horse hairs of the violin bow. This instrument is played by scraping the bow on the end edges of the sounding plates.

The imitation counter H of Fig. 1, is formed at the top of a Xylophone which is shown in Fig. 6 in plan view and in Fig. 6 in end elevation. This Xylophone has resonant bars which are struck by mallets. There are two banks of the bars. Those shown at 14 are the naturals, and those at 15 are the sharps and'fiats. The sharps and flats are susceptible of vertical adjustment, as seen in Fig. 6, being raised by levers 16 to make them more accessible when playing, and are dropped down to the level of the naturals when it is to represent simply a counter.

The counter stools J are organized as musical rattles, as shown in detail in Figs. 7 and, 7, in which Fig. 7 is a side view and Fig. 7 a plan View in detail showing the coaction of the toothed wheel and vibrating bar. The toothed wheel 17 is fixed rigidly to the top of the standard of the stool and the vibrating bar 18, which forms the musical rattle, is fixed to the under side of the seat which swivels about the standard. By turning the body and seat the end of the vibrating bar is dragged over the teeth of the wheel 17 to produce a musical vibration. The bars of the different stools are tuned to produce musical rattles of different tones.

The imitation dressed fowls 0, Fig. 1, are produced in sizes from a spring chicken to a full grown turkey. Each has a hand bell hidden within the same, as seen in Figs. 8 and 8, in which Fig. 8 is a top view partly broken away and Fig. 8 is an underneath View. Each hand bell is of a different tone and the handle of the bell extends up in the neck 21 of the fowl, while the bell proper 19 and its resonator 20 are in the body of the fowl. To let the sound out an opening 22 in the back of the fowl is left and this opening is down when the fowl is resting upon the counter, or other support. The bells are rung by grasping successively the fowls by the neck and swinging them after the well known method of the musical bell ringers. These imitation fowls are reproduced in a large number of sizes and tones to cover the proper range of the music.

To accommodate the shape and sizes of the different horns, the cornet R is placed insideof an imitation of boneless ham as seen in Fig. 9, the end being open where the butt ends of these imitation pieces of meat are left open and covered by screen wire 23 painted to resemble meat color and yet let the sound out. The keys of the horns in all cases are accessible through openings in the side of the casing.

The imitation ice box'is shown in Fig. 11, v

in which the end of the same is broken away to show a piano within the same, to gain access to which it is only necessary to raise the doors 2 1 of the ice box.

The above named instruments with their deceptive covers present the unitary impression of a meat market carrying only a utilitarian and commonplace suggestion, which resolves itself into a surprised and pleasing transition of sentiment when the players, operating in concert thereon produce the unitary effect of high class orchestral music, forming for vaudeville performances a new stage setting and a pleasing act of mixed emotions.

A novel and useful application of my invention, is in advertising the business of local tradesmen in the towns and cities in which the act is exhibited, or of wholesale houses at a distance. That is to say, the musical meat market would be presented under the sign of any dealer in meats desiring to advertise his place, as though it were his store.

I claim,

1. A stage setting for theaters, comprising a stage floor, with back and side walls to represent an open meat market and an orchestral equipment of musical instruments disposed within the same and masked in the representations of the various proclnets and furnishings of a meat market.

2. A stage setting for theaters, comprising a stage floor, with back and side walls to represent an open meat market and an orchestral equipment of musical instruments disposed within the same and masked in the representations of the various products and furnishings of a meat market said musical instruments comprising organ chimes arranged within representations of sides of bacon, bells arranged in sausages, fowls and lard buckets, horns arranged in legs of meat, a piano arranged in an ice box, xylophones and marimbaphones arranged as counter and chopping block and rattles constructed as counter stools.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. SPIKES.

Witnesses:

WM. GARTH, W. S. GARTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

